U.S. and Uzbekistan Discuss More Supply Routes

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

U.S. and Uzbekistan Discuss More Supply RoutesBy REUTERS
Published: September 29, 2011

President Obama and Uzbekistan’s president, Islam Karimov, discussed expanding use of the Central Asian country as a route to supply troops in Afghanistan, a United States official said Thursday, amid growing concern about the viability of Pakistan as a transit route. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also met with her Uzbek counterpart on Thursday, and Congress is considering legislative changes that would allow more military aid to Uzbekistan despite its poor human rights record. Mr. Obama’s outreach came as the United States and Pakistan are locked in a diplomatic crisis over accusations linking Pakistan’s chief intelligence agency to militant attacks on Americans in Afghanistan. Rising tension between Washington and Islamabad has raised questions about Pakistan’s role as a major supply route for American forces fighting in Afghanistan.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/world/asia/united-states-and-uzbekistan-discuss-more-supply-routes.html?_r=1&ref=world

---

US looks away as new ally tortures IslamistsUzbekistan's president steps up repression of opponents
Nick Paton Walsh in Namangan
The Guardian, Sunday 25 May 2003 21.05 EDT

Abdulkhalil was arrested in the fields of Uzbekistan's Ferghana valley in August last year. The 28-year-old farmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison for "trying to overthrow the constitutional structures".
Last week his father saw him for the first time since that day on a stretcher in a prison hospital. His head was battered and his tongue was so swollen that he could only say that he had "been kept in water for a long time".

Abdulkhalil was a victim of Uzbekistan's security service, the SNB. His detention and torture were part of a crackdown on Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), an Islamist group.

Independent human rights groups estimate that there are more than 600 politically motivated arrests a year in Uzbekistan, and 6,500 political prisoners, some tortured to death. According to a forensic report commissioned by the British embassy, in August two prisoners were even boiled to death.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/may/26/nickpatonwalsh

[Dystopian]

1. Of course...

I remember from years ago.
Boiling to death.

Thanks, Obama.
Keep up your great international relations.
wtf.
I voted for him. He's making me sick.
I didn't vote for bush....same illness.

Supply routes ....sick joke.

[emilyg]

2. .......

[The Northerner]

3. I suppose it'll be used for supplying "peace" and "democracy" to the world? n/t

[Citizen Worker]

4. And drug running in the other direction. Remember what Ollie North said his orders were from

William Casey, then director of the CIA. "I want an off the shelf, stand alone, self sustaining operation." Casey was talking about guns going south to Central America and cocaine coming back to the US in order to have a self sustaining operation.

[madrchsod]

5. ".....smiling faces sometimes....."

[Firebrand Gary]

6. Well if things get worse with Pakistan, at least we have options of exiting Afghanistan.

Additional...

The administration has achieved major milestones and is constantly moving the ball forward with respect to diplomacy. With diplomacy comes leverage. Sunlight is the best disinfectant right? Uzbekistan needs more "sunlight".

I honestly don't get the flack that this President receives from many of my friends here on DU when it comes to his foreign policy. Next year we are completely shutting down the Iraq war, we are going to have a substantial draw down in Afghanistan which will ease tensions in Pakistan. He and Secretary Clinton used significant leverage in assisting the people of Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. He has stayed on the call for peace between Israel and Palestine, artfully acknowledging both sides.

I applaud this President for the way he has conducted himself and our nations policy, I think that many of us (Myself included) have fallen into the "One hour photo" trap. Sure I want all of these things to change overnight, but the truth is it just is not possible. I find assurance in the fact that we are un-mistakingly moving forward.

[IamK]

7. then we can use Afghanistan as a base to attack Pakistan...

good to know we are think ahead...

[Dystopian]

8. .........

:thumbsup:

IamK2
peace~